Beet topping machine



1 .-.2.1,19f13. J M, BECK 2,337,307

BEET TOPPlNG MACHINE Filed Nov. 16, 1942 2 Sheets-Sheet l Mdo/n WWW DecL 21, 1943. V J. M BECK 2,337,307

.BEET TOPPING MACHINE Filed Nov. 16, 1942` 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Inventor l v ma W W l] fr 8)'5 'Patented Dec. 2l, 1943 UN IT E D STATES PAT EN T' O FF ICE.

BEET TOPPING MACHINE John Melvin Beck, Gooding, Idaho Application November 16, 1942, .Serial No. 465,761

4 Claims. (01; 55-107):

1 Thev present invention relatesV to newanctusei.-

vful improvements in beet topping machines. o i' a generally similar nature to that constituting the subject matter of my zo-pending. application', Serial No. 383,207, led on March 13, 1941.

An important object of the present invention isv to provide a beet topping apparatus which is adapted to be expeditiously mounted as a unit on one sideof a conventional tractor-for opera.- tion from the usual power take off thereof, with out the necessity of making material structural alterations in said tractor. y Another very important object of the invention isto provide a beet topping machine. of the aforementioned character comprising anovel construe.- tion and. arrangement whereby the device, may be expeditiously adjusted or regulated. to. meet various conditions.

Other objects of the invention are to provide a beet topping machine of the character described which will be comparatively simple in construction,- strong, durable, highly ecient and reliable in use, compact and which may be manufactured at low cost.

All of the foregoing and still further objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from a study of the following .specication, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings wherein like characters of reference designate corresponding parts throughout the several views, and wherein- Figure 1 is a View in side elevation of a beet topping machine constructed in accordance with the present invention, showing the device mounted in position on a tractor.

Figure 2 is a top plan view thereof.

Figure 3 is a cross sectional view, taken substantially on the line 3 3 of Figure 1.

Figure 4 is a detail view in top plan of a portion of one of the parallel arms.

Referring now to the drawings in detail, it will be seen that the embodiment of the present invention which has been illustrated comprises a vertical plate I of suitable metal which is removably mounted on one side of a tractor 2 forwardly of the usual side power take oil 3 thereof. 'Ioward this end, the plate I has fixed thereon, at an intermediate point, angle iron brackets 4 which project horizontally from the vertical edges of said plate. The brackets 4 have formed in their lower edges notches or slots 5 for the reception of headed pins or bolts 6 on the frame 1 of the tractor 2. The plate l includes a laterally offset lower end portion 8.

Pivotally mounted for swinging adjustment in a. vertical planeon the` outer side oi thee platev I, asv at 9is an.V inclined bracket Ill or angular cross section. The bracket: IU- comprises braces- I-I. AV bolt I24 secures'. the lower endportion of the bracket Il). in adjusted position onthe plate I, the lower end portion of said` bracket having a series of openings I3 therein for the reception of said bolt..

Hingedly mounted,r asat I4., for swinging move.- ment'. in a vertical plane onthe bracket I0' are upper andlower parallel. arms I5' and I6; respectivelyl A tubular housing Il is pivotally mounted on the free. ends of the arms I5 and I6, in paral-A lelism with the inclined` bracket. Ill". Journaled in the. tubular housing Il is a shaft` I8'. A concave-convex toppingdisk I9"i's fixed onthey lower end portionjotheshaftV I d. A substantially con'- ical shield 20 rises from the diskl I9.

Mounted for vertical swingingmovement on the-lower' portionV of the platey I isa gauge-2|' for controlling the depth'of the cut of the` disk I9 in the beets. Thegauge 2-I comprisesan arm- 22 which is pivotal-lyV and adjustably connected at 2.3`` to the offsetY portion- 8 ot the plate Il. Projectingf from the free end portion off the arm 22 is a shoe 24 which is adapted to ride over the beets, said shoe including an upturned rear end portion 25.

A rod 2E operatively connects the arm I5 to the gauge 2| for raising and lowering the topping disk I9. One end of the rod 26 is adjustably connected at 2l to the arm 22. The other end portion of the ro-d 26 is adjustably connected at 28 to the arm I5 at an intermediate point. The rod 26 has interposed therein a turnbuckle 29 for adjustment. A longitudinal slot 30 (see Figure 4) in the lower arm I6 accommodates the rod 26. A coil spring 3| has one end connected to the bracket Il and its other end connected to the arm I5 for yieldingly resisting upward swinging movement thereof. A cable 32 is connected to the tubular housing I'I for elevating the apparatus to inoperative position through the medium of the Ausual power lift of the tractor.

Mounted on the upper portion of the plate I is a drive unit 33 which is actuated from the tractor power take-oir 3 by an endless belt 34. A telescopically extensible shaft 35 connects the shaft I8 to the unit 33 for actuation thereby, this drive including universal joints 36 and 3l.

It is thought that the operation of the machine will be readily apparent from a consideration of the foregoing. Briefly, as the tractor 2 moves forwardly, the shoe 24 of the gauge 2| rides over the tops of the row of beets just in front Of the disk I 9. As the gauge 2l `rises and falls the disk I9 is raised and lowered for cutting the beets at the correct depth through the rod 26, the arm I5, the tubular housing l1, etc. During this operation, the tubular housing I1 remains parallel with the bracket I and the angle of the topping disk I9 does not change. That is, the disk I9 cuts at the same angle regardless of its vertical position. The substantially conical shield 20 prevents the beet topsv from accumulating on the disk I9 and causes saidV tops to be thrown outlof the path of the usual plow behind the tractor which lifts the beets out of the ground. The construction, Y

and arrangement is such that the gauge 2| may be expeditiously and accurately adjusted relative to the topping disk I 9.

It is beneved that the many advantages of beetA topping machine constructedin accordance f with the present invention will be readilyunderstood and although a preferred embodiment of the device is as illustrated and described, it is to be understood that changes in the details of construction and in the combination andV arrangementV of parts may be resorted to which will fall within the scope of the invention as claimed.v

Having described the invention, what is claimed as new is: l

1. A beet topping machine of the character described comprising upper and lower parallel arms hingedly mounted for swinging movement ina vertical plane on a tractor, a shaft rotatably mounted on the arms, a topping disk nxed on said shaft, a gauge pivotally mounted for swinging movement in a vertical plane on the tractor and adapted to travel across the beets, and a rod operatively connecting one of the varms to the gauge for raising and lowering the topping disk with said gauge.y 2. A beet topping machine comprising a vertical plate mounted on one side of a tractor, a pair of upper and lower parallel arms hingedly mounted on the plate for swinging movement in a vertical plane, a tubular housing pivotally mounted onthe free ends of said arms, a shaft journaled in the housing, a topping disk fixed on one end portion of said shaft, a gauge, engageable with and operable by the beets to be topped, hingedly mounted on the plate, means operatively connecting the disk to the gauge for raising and lowering thereby, and means for actuating the shaft for rotating the disk.

3. A beet topping machine comprising a vertical plate, means for removably securing said plate on one side of a tractor, a bracket mounted for :swinging adjustment in a vertical plane on the plate, upper and lower parallel arms hingedly mounted on the bracket for swinging movement in a vertical plane, a tubular housing pivotally mounted on the free ends of said arms, a shaft journaledin said housing, a topping disk fixed A on one end portion of said shaft, a gauge, en-

" ga'geablewith and operable by the beets to be topped, pivotally mounted on the lower kportion of the plate, a rod operatively connecting one of thel arms to said gauge for raising and lowering the diskl with said gauge, and means on the plate for operatively connecting the shaft to the power take-or of the tractor for actuation thereby.`

4. Abeet topping machine comprising a vertical plate, brackets projecting horizontally from the plate at an intermediate point, said brackets having notches extending upwardly thereinto for the reception of supporting lelements for removably mounting the plate on a tractor, a bracket of angular cross section pivotally mounted for swinging adjustment in a vertical plane on the plate, upper and lowerparallel .arms hingedly mounted for swinging movement in a vertical plane on said brackets, a tube pivotally mounted on the free ends of said arms, a shaft journaled in said tube, a topping disk fixed on one end portion of the shaft, a gauge, engageable with and operable by the beets to be topped, pivotally mounted on the plate and operatively connected to the disk for raising and lowering the same, and a drive unit on the plate'operatively connected to the shaft.

- JOHN MELVIN BECK. 

